Rarely have I been as bothered, nay, offended, by the actions of a business as I have by this one.
As I first heard about on “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me,” there’s a tourist attraction in China that has done something kind of outrageous.
From CNN: “The Yungang Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in China renowned for its 51,000 Buddhist statues carved into 252 caves and niches dating back 1,500 years, has recently sparked controversy surrounding a new implementation in its restrooms.
“A video widely circulated on Chinese social media platforms depicts a row of digital timers installed above the cubicles in a women’s restroom, per CNN. These timers display the occupancy status of each stall: an unoccupied stall shows “empty” in green on a pixelated LED screen, while an occupied stall displays the elapsed time since the door was locked.”
So basically they’re keeping track of how long people are in the bathroom! As someone with Crohn’s who is, let’s say, often in the bathroom for a while, I think this is a pretty awful idea.
As comedian Helen Hong said on “Wait Wait,” this is poop-shaming! Let those of us who need some time in there not have the pressure of a clock! The person waiting can wait, or go somewhere else.
I’m half-serious, half-joking here. I’m not really “outraged.” But I do think this is a pretty terrible idea that I hope doesn’t catch on. People should be allowed to do their business in a restroom without being timed.
**Next up, the Florida Panthers didn’t quite become the biggest choke artist in American sports history Monday night, beating the Edmonton Oilers, 2-1 in Game 7 to win the Stanley Cup.
I really feel good for their coach, Paul Maurice, who has coached for 26 seasons in the NHL, and has been a bench boss for the second-most games in league history.
This was a really sweet postgame interview Maurice gave on the ice, where the Cup itself kind of interfered.
Very sweet moment.
**And finally, here’s a restaurant concept I hadn’t heard before: An “upscale eatery” in St. Louis called Bliss has instituted a rule: you have to be over 30 years old (women) or 35 years old (men) to be allowed in.
“It’s just something for the older people to come do and have a happy hour, come get some good food and not have to worry about some of the young folks that bring some of that drama,” Assistant Manager Erica Rhodes said. (Excuse me, OLDER people??? Nobody who’s 30 or 35 is older :))
Marvin Pate, 36, and his wife opened Bliss just two weeks ago.
“It represents pure happiness and pure utopia. It’s a home away from home. You can come here and feel like you’re actually on a resort,” Pate said.
I actually think this is a terrific idea. There are tons of places for those of us with children to go eat. And children can be, well, noisy. We have adults-only vacation resorts and adults-only museums, nothing wrong with a grownups-exclusive restaurant.
My only question: What if a woman comes in and she’s pregnant?
Wide World of Stuff 